SNP ministers add a little spice to their lives with outings in tandoori taxis

THREE Scottish ministers used their chauffeur-driven government limousines as "Tandoori taxis" to meet for a slap-up curry on their way home from work.

SNP ministers have been caught using taxpayer money for tips to the local curry house [PH]

Health secretary Alex Neil, culture secretary Fiona Hyslop and youth employment minister Angela Constance were driven to The Verandah in Edinburgh on May 1 last year.

The Indian & Bangladeshi restaurant is regarded as one of the best in the Capital and down the years it has hosted celebrities such as Sir Sean Connery, Sir Cliff Richard and Clint Eastwood.

Before being driven to The Verandah, Mr Neil had given a speech to a surgical conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Ms Hyslop had been at a Scottish Book Week event at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Ms Constance had been at a press launch at the Scottish Parliament.

After the meal, Mr Neil and Ms Constance were driven on separately to a "personal address", while Ms Hyslop made her own way home.

The SNP administration spends £1million a year on the Government Car Service, which uses a fleet of chauffeur-driven Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar cars to ferry ministers to thousands of events all over Scotland.

Using official vehicles as nothing more than Tandoori taxis is an appalling waste of taxpayers' money

Paul Martin, Scottish Labour's business manager

However, the latest publication of car journeys reveals a number of private trips to Indian and Italian restaurants last year, as well as one occasion where two ministers were taken home from the pub.

Scottish Labour's business manager Paul Martin said: "Using official vehicles as nothing more than Tandoori taxis is an appalling waste of taxpayers' money by SNP ministers who think they are above getting the bus or train.

"Yet they are happy to preach to Scots about cutting their carbon footprint while they keep their chauffeurs sitting outside while they enjoy a curry. It's a disgrace."

Scots Tory MSP Alex Johnstone added: "Whether or not these journeys fall within the letter of the rules, ministers using taxpayer-funded cars to attend personal engagements shows just how out of touch with the public they are.

"Hard working taxpayers will rightly wonder how such journeys can be justified at a time when public finances are so tight."

"It is also little wonder these ministers are so quick to denounce any government austerity measures when at the same time they are living their private lives at the taxpayers' expense."

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Eight weeks after their feast at The Verandah, on June 26, Ms Hyslop and Ms Constance were both driven home from Hemma - a Swedish-themed pub near the Scottish Parliament.

It was the evening before Parliament broke up for summer recess and both ministers had been at separate engagements in central Edinburgh before meeting at the bar.

International development minister Humza Yousaf visited restaurants after his ministerial duties for the day were completed on four separate occasions last year.

On January 22 he was driven home from Cafe India in Glasgow; on March 5 he was at Khushi's Indian restaurant in Edinburgh; on March 6 he was at Caciopepe Italian restaurant in Edinburgh; and on April 30 he visited Shezan Indian restaurant, again in Edinburgh.

Learning, science and languages minister Alasdair Allan is another fan of spicy food. On December 17 he was driven from the Parliament to the nearby Mosque Kitchen before going on to a personal address.

Finally, on September 17, Education Secretary Michael Russell visited Jamie's Italian in Glasgow after an engagement at the City of Glasgow College, before being driven to a personal address.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also demonstrated a weakness for Indian food during the Summer Cabinet visit to Fraserburgh, although she did not use her ministerial car.

On September 1, after a tiring civic reception at Banff and Buchan College, she was transported by a minibus hired by the Scottish Government to the town's B Raj Tandoori.

Ms Sturgeon was later driven back to the Tufted Duck Hotel, where the ministerial team were billeted during their visit.

Last August, the Scottish Sunday Express revealed that three SNP ministers used their chauffeur-driven government limousines to get home from Christmas meals and drinks parties.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Under the terms of the Ministerial Code ministers are entitled to use official cars for ministerial engagements and to travel to and from work, this can be straight from the office or the location of an event that occurs at the end of the working day."